Many in Europe have suggested that the European Union should dramatically cut-off ties with the Peoples Republic of China. However, Mercator Institute for China Studies (MERICS), a Berlin-based think tank, specialized on China, warns against trying to internationally isolate China. MERICS also pointed out that China is more popular than the United States in many parts of the world as it invests in foreign nations without telling them they need to change internal (and sometimes external) policies. The EU and China are now each others biggest trading partners when it comes to industrial and manufactured goods. MERICS advises the EU to “strengthen its role as an economic and security partner,” if it seeks “to remain a relevant geopolitical actor and protect its own interests and security,” as well as to be more energetic in the “shaping of global coalitions.” This podcast also discusses Europe's answer to China's One Belt, One Road Initiative called the "Global Gateway." Steve Dupuie and Dr. Thiel also go over scriptures pointing the fact that end-time European Babylon (not the current European Union) will be involved in trade with each other. Some other items which occurred in Europe that were predicted in the old Worldwide Church of God, like a common European currency (the euro) and uniting of East and West Europe which have come to pass was discussed. And Jesus was quoted telling His followers to "Watch" (Mark 13:37).

A written article of related interest is available titled "Europe to break from China or perhaps get closer as Babylon?"

Europe to break from China or perhaps get closer as Babylon?

COGwriter

While many in Germany want to reduce ties to China, others have a different view. German-Foreign-Policy.com reported the following:

2 September 2022
BEIJING/BERLIN (Own report) – A Berlin-based think tank, specialized on China, warns against trying to internationally isolate the People’s Republic, as with Russia. Attitudes towards China diverged widely from “mainstream narratives” in the western world, according to a study by the Mercator Institute for China Studies (MERICS). It is of major importance to understand how “actors outside the usual grouping of rich, liberal market economies” view the shifting global dynamics, and how they think about Europe. In fact, the Western public’s extremely negative perception of China is generally not shared outside the West. On the contrary, sometimes the People’s Republic enjoys an even greater popularity than the United States. Non-western elites usually appreciate Beijing, because it does not lecture governments in Africa, Asia and Latin America and because the Chinese market and Chinese investments offer huge opportunities. If the EU does not want to fall behind Beijing, it must take vigorous action, according to MERICS. https://www.german-foreign-policy.com/en/news/detail/9011

Yes, Europe is being encouraged to take bold initiatives in order to have more influence around the world.

China is claimed to be the world’s second largest economy after the USA, but it actually could be bigger depending upon the measurement.

Furthermore, the European Union actually has a higher gross domestic product than the USA or China.

And they trade:

The EU is China’s largest trading partner,[1][2] and in 2020, China overtook the US in becoming the EU’s largest trade partner in terms of goods.[35] Most of this trade is in industrial and manufactured goods. US is still EU’s leading partner when services are included in the calculation. (China-European Union Relations. Wikipedia, accessed 09/02/22)

By 2014, then German Chancellor Angela Merkel had visited China on trade missions seven times since assuming office in 2005, underlining the importance of China to the German economy.

The Europeans do not want to foul-up trade with China–despite what the USA may want.

Here is more from the report:

Beijing Rather than Washington
MERICS systematically takes the examples of eight countries – Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Kazakhstan, Bangladesh, Indonesia Kenya, Nigeria and Chile – to obtain a more substantiated judgement of the prospects for being able to isolate China, when necessary. First of all, results indicated that in only two of these countries positive views of the USA are more prevalent than of those of China – in Kenya (60, versus 58 percent) and in Indonesia (42, versus 36 percent).[5] No data is available for Kazakhstan. In the five other countries, the People’s Republic is, at times, much more popular than the United States (Turkey, 37 versus 20 percent; Saudi Arabia, 49 versus 37 percent; Chile, 51 versus 39 percent). This corresponds to the Afrobarometer’s most recent statistics, indicating that throughout the countries of Africa, almost two-thirds (63%) of the African population say China’s influence in their country is positive, – more than the case for the United States (60 percent) …

Yes, in many places in the world, China is more popular than the USA.

The USA’s arm twisting, using its dollar as a weapon, and often downplaying concerns of individual nations has hurt its standing in the world.

Here is the conclusion of the report:

MERICS offers the advice that the EU, for its part, should become active and “strengthen its role as an economic and security partner.” If it seeks “to remain a relevant geopolitical actor and protect its own interests and security,” it will need to be more energetic in the “shaping of global coalitions.” Berlin and Brussels certainly have the will to do so, which is apparent in recurring efforts to launch new German, or EU influence offenses in Africa[7] and in Latin America.[8] The question, however, on the other hand, is whether Germany and the EU have the power potential sufficient to achieve what they want.

Will Europe take steps to increase its influence around the world?

Yes.

Europe has been making trade deals around the world.

It has also long made deals with countries that the USA has sanctioned or somehow sidelined.

Furthermore, in order to counter some of China’s influence, it came up with something called the Global Gateway.

Here is some of what EU News said about the project:

What is new in this Communication and how does it relate to previous initiatives in Connectivity?
Global Gateway is global in scope, adapting to the needs and strategic interests of different regions. It builds on the achievements of the 2018 EU-Asia Connectivity Strategy, the recently concluded Connectivity Partnerships with Japan and India, as well as the Economic and Investment Plans for the Western Balkans, the Eastern Partnership, and the Southern Neighbourhood, but paying also particular attention to Africa, Central Asia and Latin America.
Global Gateway will be implemented in a Team Europe approach, that brings together funding by the EU, its Member States and European financial institutions, ensuring that investments can be targeted and more effective, strengthening existing initiatives and fostering new ones.
Global Gateway is values driven and based on the Union’s high social, environmental, fiscal and labour standards. It will focus on physical infrastructure – such as fibre optic cables, transport corridors, clean power transmission lines – to strengthen digital, transport and energy networks. It will also provide an enabling environment to make sure projects deliver, by offering attractive investment and business-friendly trading conditions, regulatory convergence, standardisation, supply chain integration and financial services. The EU has put in place financial and other tools to address the investment needs in sustainable infrastructure development across the world. accessed 12/02/21 https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/qanda_21_6434

The EU project is ambitious. It is intended to help insure, that it, and not China will gain dominance. This is strategically interesting in that Europe is not intending to spend as much as China, but by being more selective about where to spend its funds, it will mainly fill in ‘gaps’ that it expects will benefit it the most.

This will, also, allow for more trade between China and Europe.

Furthermore, unlike the Chinese plan, the European one involves infrastructure around data and communications technology.

The Bible shows that economically as the “daughter of Babylon” Europe will rise up in this century–(cf. Revelation chapters 17 & 18).

There will be many areas of cooperation between Europe and China.

Consider that while China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) itself will face various obstacles, it looks to be supportive of some biblical prophecies–including related to Armageddon.

Since the Bible teaches that it will be Europe that will dominate world trade, the BRI and Europe’s Global Gateway look to be ways that Europe will get access to markets in Asia and Africa. Roads work both ways. Furthermore, Europe has a long history of trading with Asia and Latin America and is biblically prophesied to continue to do so.

Consider that the Bible teaches the following about an end time European power:

2 … Babylon … 3 For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich through the abundance of her luxury. (Revelation 18:2,3)

The above is referring to the fact that nations of the world are prophesied to get wealthy trading with end time Babylon, which will be a European entity. And that will include China.

That is also consistent with the following:

9 “The kings of the earth who committed fornication and lived luxuriously with her will weep and lament for her, when they see the smoke of her burning, 10 standing at a distance for fear of her torment, saying, ‘Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! For in one hour your judgment has come.’
11 “And the merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her, for no one buys their merchandise anymore: 12 merchandise of gold and silver, precious stones and pearls, fine linen and purple, silk and scarlet, every kind of citron wood, every kind of object of ivory, every kind of object of most precious wood, bronze, iron, and marble; 13 and cinnamon and incense, fragrant oil and frankincense, wine and oil, fine flour and wheat, cattle and sheep, horses and chariots, and bodies and souls of men. 14 The fruit that your soul longed for has gone from you, and all the things which are rich and splendid have gone from you, and you shall find them no more at all. 15 The merchants of these things, who became rich by her, will stand at a distance for fear of her torment, weeping and wailing, 16 and saying, ‘Alas, alas, that great city that was clothed in fine linen, purple, and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls! (Revelation 18:9-17)

China is a big producer of things that will be traded, such as silk, which is mentioned in Revelation 18:12.

So, yes, look for more cooperation, despite an often strained relationship, between Europe and China.

Back in 1971, the old Worldwide Church of God (WCG) published the following:

Momentous, historic events are transforming Western Europe. But most Americans are “asleep at the switch” to what is happening. It’s time for a self-centered America to wake up – before her allies become her enemies. Envision the startling future of Western Europe. A … union of perhaps 250 million people, surpassing both the United States and the Soviet Union in economic strength, possessing for the first time worldwide political power and influence. One news source recently called it an “enormous, physically powerful beast.” A new Western Europe controlling perhaps half of all world trade, by exclusive arrangements with dozens of nations who produce raw materials. A “United States of Europe” possessing one single currency – a currency so strong that it will replace the U. S. dollar as the kingpin currency of world trade. (Hogberg G. EUROPE’S COMMON MARKET RISING WORLD COLOSSUS. Plain Truth, 1971)

Now we all know that Europe has its own currency–a currency that some see as the logical replacement for the US dollar for world trade. Now, let me add that less than a decade after the above was published, the WCG publicly announced that Eastern Europe would also be part of this European power. And within a decade of that, Eastern European nations began to officially join in with what has become the European Union (more in Eastern Europe have also applied to become members of the EU). And, in population, the European Union already is actually larger than that of the USA.

The prophecies in Revelation 18 about the trading Babylonian power will come to pass. Back in 2019, I posted the following:

Infrastructure helps trade, and that is what the BRI project is intent on doing. (Thiel B. Italy looking to support ‘Silk Road 2.0,’ the Chinese Belt and Road Initiative. COGwriter, March 8, 2019)

With the BRI and its Global Gateway, Europe is getting more of the connectivity that it wants.

Since the Bible tells of a time when Europe will dominate world trade, we also put together the following video on our Bible News Prophecy:

China’s Silk Road and Babylon the Great
China has been embarking on a multi-trillion dollar project to build roads and ports to connect more of Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and Europe to it. This has been called the ‘Belt and Road Initiative,’ Silk Road Project, Silk Road 2.0, and the One Belt, One Road Initiative. While this is expected to benefit Chinese trade (as well as provide infrastructure for the gathering at Armageddon), could this also benefit the rise of Babylon the Great foretold in the Book of Revelation and scriptures in the Old Testament? What about the proposed Polar Silk Road? Will the benefits to Europe last or will the end time ‘daughter of Babylon’ possibly face invasion from nations involved with the Silk Road project? Dr. Thiel addresses these issues with scriptures from the Bible.

Here is a link to our video: China’s Silk Road and Babylon the Great.

Related to the Global Gateway, we put out the following related video:

EU’s Global Gateway, Trade, and War?
The European Union announced that it planned to spend €300 billion ($340 billion) in a program called ‘Global Gateway.’ According to EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen it is a “true alternative” to China’s Belt and Road Initiative, also known as the Silk Road Project. Both the EU and Chinese projects will improve road, ports, and/or other infrastructure to connect with Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America. Will this result in increased trade for Europe and Asia during the time of the Gentiles? Will Babylonian Europe dominate trade for a time? Will devastating war hit Europe with Russian and Eurasian involvement? Would infrastructure these projects are involved in be used for war? What about preparation for Armageddon? Dr. Thiel address these issues and cites biblical prophecies related to these matters.

Here is a link to our video: EU’s Global Gateway, Trade, and War?

Despite various problems, there will be increased connectivity between Europe, Asia, Africa, and Latin America.

China, Russia, and the Europeans are working on that type of increased connectivity.

UPDATE 09/04/22: We just uploaded the following related video:

Europe WILL deal with China
Many in Europe have suggested that the European Union should dramatically cut-off ties with the Peoples Republic of China. However, Mercator Institute for China Studies (MERICS), a Berlin-based think tank, specialized on China, warns against trying to internationally isolate China. MERICS also pointed out that China is more popular than the United States in many parts of the world as it invests in foreign nations without telling them they need to change internal (and sometimes external) policies. The EU and China are now each others biggest trading partners when it comes to industrial and manufactured goods. MERICS advises the EU to “strengthen its role as an economic and security partner,” if it seeks “to remain a relevant geopolitical actor and protect its own interests and security,” as well as to be more energetic in the “shaping of global coalitions.” This video also discusses Europe’s answer to China’s One Belt, One Road Initiative called the “Global Gateway.” Steve Dupuie and Dr. Thiel also go over scriptures pointing the fact that end-time European Babylon (not the current European Union) will be involved in trade with each other. Some other items which occurred in Europe that were predicted in the old Worldwide Church of God, like a common European currency (the euro) and uniting of East and West Europe which have come to pass was discussed. And Jesus was quoted telling His followers to “Watch” (Mark 13:37).

Here is a link to our video: Europe WILL deal with China.

Properly understood biblical prophecies are coming to pass.

Jesus said, “And what I say to you, I say to all: Watch!” (Mark 13:37).

Europe is motivated to actually bypass the USA.

It will make deals with many places, like Russia and China, in order to do so.

The Bible says Europe will rise up–and many want it to take steps to do so at this time.

The development of infrastructure in Europe and Asia is something to watch.

Article with related written items and videos: Europe to break from China or perhaps get closer as Babylon?

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EU's Global Gateway, Trade, and War?